Claery & Green, LLP

Both of the firm's partners have been handling family law matters for more than a decade.

Both of the firm's partners have been handling family law matters for more than a decade. (Amy Cantrell)

At Claery & Green, LLP, partners Lance Claery and Jim Green have built one of Southern California’s foremost family law firms by carefully selecting a group of experienced and dedicated legal professionals. With its broad collective expertise, this team of advocates is able to offer knowledgeable counsel in the full range of divorce and family law issues, including complex matters such as move-away and child support cases.

“When clients come to us, they’re going through a rough period in their life, and we want them to feel like they have someone on their side during this stressful time,” Claery says. “The benefit of having a team is that not only do we have the resources to handle their matters, but we can also ensure that they feel comfortable and informed throughout the process.”

Both of the firm’s partners have been handling family law matters for more than a decade. Claery, who has focused in the field throughout his career, first became interested in family law while completing his undergraduate degree in family studies at the University of Maryland. As part of the school’s internship program, he volunteered for the Hope Housing project, which helps families in the poorest sections of Washington, D.C. “Working with families in these low-income areas, I saw that what they really needed was help with their legal issues, and that’s what turned me on to the law,” he notes.

Green, meanwhile, has a diverse background that includes serving as a military attorney in the U.S. Marine Corps. In that role, he handled family law issues as well as a myriad of other legal matters. “After three-and-a-half years of practicing every area of the law, I found that family law was the one that interested me the most, so when I left the military I went directly into that field,” he says. Green also has a wide-ranging educational foundation, having earned an LL.M. in taxation and a master’s degree in business administration in addition to his J.D.

Given their broad expertise, Claery and Green represent people across the economic spectrum, from multimillionaires to clients of more modest means. Claery notes that having this varied client base allows them to empathize with each client’s situation. “For family law attorneys, being able to communicate with clients is essential to being successful in their cases,” he explains, “and we can always relate to where our clients are coming from.”